What if OU's Sam Bradford came out this year?

NORMAN — Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, to the delight of Sooner fans, won’t be participating in this weekend’s NFL Draft.

But had he decided to leave early, how would Bradford have stacked up against Georgia’s Matthew Stafford — who is expected to go No. 1 to the Detroit Lions?

"Bradford would’ve been right in there,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. told The Oklahoman during a national conference call. "It’s easy to say he would’ve been the No. 1 pick.

"But when you go through this process, the scrutinization begins as we’ve seen, and you get picked apart.”

For that reason, it’s impossible to predict how scouts would’ve judged Bradford against Stafford or USC’s Mark Sanchez following the NFL’s rigorous scouting process.

Stafford boasts the strongest arm in this draft, but throws with questionable accuracy. Sanchez has been lauded for his decision-making, but with only 16 college starts, people wonder about his inexperience.

Bradford would’ve been dissected the same way, and scouts probably would’ve come away impressed with his accuracy, quick release and intelligence, but unsold with his physical durability and overall strength.

"Bradford would be right in the discussion,” said former Oklahoma State head coach Pat Jones, who was also an assistant with the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders in the NFL from 1996-2006.

"His anticipating, how he sees things, how quickly he computes things, to me is exceptional.